Strive vs. Thrive — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on November 6, 2023
Strive means to make great efforts to achieve something; thrive means to grow, develop, or be successful.
Difference Between Strive and Thrive
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Strive suggests exerting oneself vigorously to achieve or reach an objective, often one with challenges or opposition. Thrive, on the other hand, implies not just success but also a flourishing or prospering state, often as a result of the environment or one’s own capabilities.
Strive carries a sense of struggle and persistent effort. It’s about the journey, often uphill, to attain a goal or overcome obstacles. Thrive is the stage beyond striving, where one’s efforts have borne fruit, resulting in growth, health, and prosperity.
To strive is to engage in the act of trying or aiming with determination. To thrive is to have achieved a robust or vigorous state as a result of growth or development. Striving is a prerequisite to thriving; without the effort of striving, the state of thriving would be harder to attain.
Striving involves a focused attempt and exertion towards a goal, often against difficulty. Thriving denotes a positive outcome, a period of success or well-being. Striving is often about ambition and the attempt, while thriving is about the outcome and success.
Strive refers to the action of working hard toward something, it is about determination and effort. Thrive, however, is about the results of that effort, suggesting success, health, and good fortune. To strive is the process, to thrive is the result.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
To exert oneself to achieve a goal.
To grow or develop well, to prosper.
Connotation
Suggests effort and determination.
Implies success and positive development.
Usage
Often used in the context of pursuing goals amid challenges.
Used when referring to positive growth or successful sustenance.
Outcome
Not guaranteed; striving is about the attempt.
Indicates a degree of achievement or success.
Temporal Phase
Usually the action before achieving success.
Generally the state after achieving success.
Compare with Definitions
Strive
To make great efforts to achieve something.
She will strive to break the record.
Thrive
To be successful or make steady progress.
She thrives in high-pressure environments.
Strive
To try hard towards a goal.
Athletes strive for excellence in their sports.
Thrive
To grow vigorously.
Plants thrive in this fertile soil.
Strive
To endeavor persistently.
We must strive to do better each day.
Thrive
To flourish in personal growth.
Children thrive with positive reinforcement.
Strive
To aim or seek ambitiously.
They strive for a top spot in the rankings.
Thrive
To grow or increase stature; to grow vigorously or luxuriantly, to flourish.
Not all animals thrive well in captivity.
To thrive upon hard work
Strive
To try to achieve a result; to make strenuous effort; to try earnestly and persistently.
He strove to excel.
We strive for the truth.
Thrive
To prosper or flourish.
Businesses thrive in a free market.
Strive
Make great efforts to achieve or obtain something
National movements were striving for independence
We must strive to secure steady growth
Thrive
(of a child, animal, or plant) grow or develop well or vigorously
The new baby thrived
Strive
To exert much effort or energy; endeavor.
Thrive
To grow vigorously; flourish
Some plants thrive in sandy soil.
Strive
To struggle or fight forcefully; contend
Strive against injustice.
Thrive
To be successful or make steady progress; prosper
The town has been thriving on tourism.
Strive
To struggle in opposition; to be in contention or dispute; to contend; to contest.
To strive against fate
Thrive
To increase in wealth or success; to prosper, be profitable.
Since expanding in June, the business has really thrived.
Strive
To vie; to compete as a rival.
Thrive
To prosper by industry, economy, and good management of property; to increase in goods and estate; as, a farmer thrives by good husbandry.
Diligence and humility is the way to thrive in the riches of the understanding, as well as in gold.
Strive
To make efforts; to use exertions; to endeavor with earnestness; to labor hard.
Was for this his ambition stroveTo equal Cæsar first, and after, Jove?
Thrive
To prosper in any business; to have increase or success.
O son, why sit we here, each other viewingIdly, while Satan, our great author, thrives?
And so she throve and prospered.
Strive
To struggle in opposition; to be in contention or dispute; to contend; to contest; - followed by against or with before the person or thing opposed; as, strive against temptation; strive for the truth.
My Spirit shall not always strive with man.
Why dost thou strive against him?
Now private pity strove with public hate,Reason with rage, and eloquence with fate.
Thrive
To increase in bulk or stature; to grow vigorously or luxuriantly, as a plant; to flourish; as, young cattle thrive in rich pastures; trees thrive in a good soil.
Strive
To vie; to compete; to be a rival.
[Not] that sweet groveOf Daphne, by Orontes and the inspiredCastalian spring, might with this paradiseOf Eden strive.
Thrive
Grow stronger;
The economy was booming
Strive
An effort; a striving.
Thrive
Gain in wealth
Strive
Strife; contention.
Thrive
To develop well, often in a new environment.
After moving, he thrived in his new school.
Strive
Attempt by employing effort;
We endeavor to make our customers happy
Strive
To exert much effort or energy;
Straining our ears to hear
Strive
To struggle or fight vigorously.
He strives against the harsh conditions.
Common Curiosities
Can you thrive without striving?
Typically, thriving is the result of striving, though one may thrive due to favorable conditions.
What is an example of striving in education?
A student studying diligently for exams is striving.
What does it mean to strive for something?
It means to try very hard and put in a great effort to achieve it.
Can a business strive and thrive?
Yes, a business can strive by putting in effort and later thrive by succeeding.
Does striving guarantee thriving?
No, striving does not always lead to thriving, but it increases the chances.
Are striving and thriving mutually exclusive?
No, they often happen in sequence—striving leads to thriving.
Can striving be negative?
If it leads to excessive stress or is pursued without balance, it can be.
Does thrive refer only to economic success?
No, it can refer to success in any aspect of life, including personal well-being.
Is striving a continuous process?
Yes, it can be an ongoing process without a definitive end.
Is thriving the same as being successful?
Yes, thriving often implies being successful or doing very well.
Can one thrive in a bad environment?
It's possible, but typically a good environment helps one to thrive.
Can plants and animals thrive?
Yes, they can grow or develop successfully in suitable conditions.
Is it possible to over-strive?
Yes, over-striving can lead to burnout or negative consequences.
Can thriving only be measured in tangible results?
No, it can also be measured in intangible ways like happiness or health.
Is thriving always a positive outcome?
Generally, yes, as it implies a prosperous or healthy state.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
